How To Get the Guy and Lose the Girl in 30 Days
by foxtrotelly
Summary: A basic guide to getting your best friend together with the girl you've loved ever since the third grade and a story of firsts. Day 2: First Date - Because candlelit breakfasts and after-breakup dates to Central Town are the way to go.
1. Day 1: First Chance

Here's a story I particularly wanted to write for so long. Now I'm just plain glad I can finally be able to write it. (: Oh, and if you do think the plot's a little cliché or overused, review to me about it. For now, I'll try my best to make it as _foxtrotelly_-ed as ever.

**Disclamer: **Gakuen Alice copyright © Tachibana Higuchi, 2003-Present

* * *

_**How To Get The Guy and Lose The Girl in 30 Days**_

_**by foxtrotelly**_

_~ Dedicated to Ariisha-chan ~_

_Here's the third line up for you, sis. You deserve it because you're amazing, you know._

_**:) :) :)**_

"_The opportunity comes when you least expect it. When it happens, it happens." –Imai Hotaru_

_**:) :) :) **_

"Did you hear? Ruka-kun's a free man again!"

_"No way?" _

"Yeah. just this morni—"

"Polka come on now, we're going to be late," a voice that parted the crowded hallway like the Red Sea drawled. It was Natsume and standing five feet behind him was Mikan who was dead frozen to the spot.

"I – Natsume…" was all Mikan could manage. She looked up at him with sparkling brown eyes that were filled with an emotion he couldn't determine. From where he stood, though, it almost looked like hope.

"Polka, let's go," he called again.

Mikan blinked. "A-alright then." She stumbled to his side.

Taking one look at her made Natsume realize what was going on right away. "Now let's head to class to get things straight with Ruka."

―

The rumors circulating around campus were definitely true. After talking with Ruka before class, they found out that he was, in fact, single yet again. Turns out his then girlfriend, a girl named Hazune from the other class, broke up with him that morning. Ruka seemed to be perfectly fine with it, and just like after every breakup he's had in the past three years, he announced that he and Hazune would still remain friends. Lots of girls around school were overjoyed at the news, and then there was Mikan.

Mikan fell quiet after learning the story from Ruka. She acted differently all throughout the day too. She didn't smile that often nor did she talk as much. When asked about how she felt about Ruka's breakup, she would space out and say she's glad he's still friends with Hazune with a vacant smile on her face. Then after that, she would walk off as if she wanted to be alone again right away.

Hotaru managed to corner her after fifth period when Mikan asked the teacher for permission to the girl's room thirty seconds before the bell. At first, Mikan tried to avoid her, but then she realized her best friend was too smart to be evaded. So reluctantly, she stopped near the custodian's closet and let her best friend ask away.

"What happened to you awhile ago?" Hotaru asked, eyeing her bestfriend questioningly.

"Nothing, Hotaru," Mikan said.

Hotaru raised her eyebrow. She knew her best friend better than that. "It's the breakup. I can tell it's got you thinking."

"What are you talking about? It's not—"

"You're hopeful because of it too," Hotaru said knowingly.

Startled, Mikan blurted, "How did you—"

Hotaru cut her off nonchalantly. "You're my best friend. I know things."

Mikan's shoulders slumped in easy defeat. "I guess you were smart enough to know about that. What should I do now then?"

"What you think you should do, Mikan," she simply said.

"_Erm_." Mikan fidgeted, muttering, "That's an awful lot coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well…" Mikan looked down, kind of embarrassed.

_RRRIIING! _

The school bell rang to signify the end of their five-minute break. Students started hurrying off to their next class. Hotaru already began to walk away, but not before saying, "The opportunity comes when you least expect it. When it happens, it happens."

* * *

"Uhm, excuse me."

"Hey, no fair! No pushing!"

"Or cutting!"

From somewhere deep in the crowd, a random hand flew out and pulled on one of Mikan's pigtails.

"Hey, ow!" she cried out. She just couldn't believe how desperate she got to stoop so low and push her way through a swarm of crazy fangirls like any normal crazy fangirl would. But as Hotaru's words got to her earlier, she had only gotten more determined than ever. With one final shove, she managed to squeeze her way in between two girls and get to the surrounded table all in one piece, with a few claws and scratches on her face, arms and neck.

"Hey, it's Mikan!" It was Koko, and he looked really glad to see the brunette.

"H-hey there, guys."

"Have a seat." Ruka smiled warmly at her and motioned for her to take the seat between him and Natsume. The entire horde of fangirls sighed dreamily when Ruka smiled, but as they saw Mikan sit beside him, all of them groaned and stomped away from the table begrudgingly.

"Ain't that nice, now?" Natsume remarked monotonously. He rested his head on his hand and poked his gyoza with his fork some more. "Now we have this idiot as a natural repellant for those pesky fangirls."

"Wha—"

Mochu snickered away. "I guess he's right, Mikan. Maybe you should date one of us so they'd go away permanently, if you know what I mean." He wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Don't flatter yourself, Mochiage," a voice snapped alongside them. Beside the table, along with Anna, Nonoko, Permy, and Yuu, stood Hotaru, glaring intently at Mochu.

"They're only here for Ruka-sama or Natsume-kun, you know," Permy said matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes at Mochu, who in turn raised up his hands in mock surrender.

Anna glanced around nervously, uneasily asking, "Anyway, is it safe to sit here again?"

Kitsuneme beamed at them, greeting, "Hey there girls!" Then he nodded to Yuu in particular. "And Yuu."

"Sure why not?" Koko said. "_Plenty_ of room here." With that, all of the boys along with Mikan scooted to their right onto mid-air that materialized into a connecting table and bench a second later.

"I could swear the table was smaller when you guys weren't around," Mochu mused.

Nonoko giggled. "There's Iinchou to thank for that."

The whole table was filled with a half-hearted chorus of "Thank you, Iinchou" right away. Yuu blushed, mumbling, "Oh you know, standard procedure."

"Speaking of standard procedure," Permy started, "I, Shouda Sumire, nominate myself to accompany Ruka-kun to the post-routine da—"

"Nice try, Shouda," Hotaru interrupted her callously. "But you already went last time."

Permy crossed her arms, half-irritated, half-crestfallen. "Ok, whatever. Are any nominations available on the field?" she grumbled diffidently.

Across the table from Permy, Anna whispered something into Nonoko's ear and she shot them both a suspicious glare. Then suddenly, the freak twins spoke in unison. "We, Umemomiya Anna and Osagawara Nonoko, respectfully nominate Sakura Mikan-chan to accompany Ruka-kun to the post-routine day trip to Central Town tomorrow afternoon."

The table fell into a silent hush. No one had ever nominate Mikan to go on that after-breakup date with Ruka after the incident last year involving loose ponies, an angry ex-girlfriend and a raging Hotaru carrying her deluxe Baka gun ver. 3.10.72. It had always been the same girls repeatedly accompanying Ruka; Anna, Nonoko, or Permy. On occasion, Hotaru came during the times Yuu couldn't make it because ever since that _darkdark_, messy day, it had been considered taboo at the lunch table to even speak of the words 'nominate', 'Mikan', and 'date'.

Everybody, except for Natsume and Hotaru, looked amongst themselves, concerned.

"Uhm, I don't think…"

"Yeah, she's right, it's just that…"

"_Err,_ who wants fried chicken?"

Mikan hung her head in the shame of it all. She never meant for things to go wrong that day. Plus, she didn't exactly like it when matters took an awkward revolve around her, and she was pretty much sure Ruka wasn't enjoying the attention either. She turned to Ruka. "Uhm, Ruka-pyon, if it means a lot to you to not get into trouble again, I—"

"Those who vote for Mikan to go with Ruka to the after-breakup date, say aye," Natsume, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

"Aye." Everybody was surprised to find that the first vote belonged to Ruka. "Anyone else?"

"Aye," said Nonoko and Anna, both of them having identical smiles on their faces.

"Aye," said Koko with a mouthful of food, raising his chicken leg in the air.

"Aye," said Kitsuneme with a mouthful of soda, toasting his can to Koko's drumstick.

"Aye," said Yuu, pushing his glasses to his nose with his thumb (he did it when he was nervous).

"Aye," said Mochu, nudging Permy at her side.

"Aye," said Permy, elbowing Mochu back in the ribs.

"Whatever. Aye," said Natsume, a bit impatient as he kept his eyes glued to his manga.

"Aye," said Hotaru. She directed a small smile towards Mikan. Now all they needed was her vote.

Mikan hesitated for a bit, thinking of how Hazune might react if she saw them in Central Town tomorrow. Feelings of doubt and fear immediately gnawed at her insides.

But then, it came to her. Hotaru had told her to do what she should do. Right now, she needed to protect Ruka from the berserk 'I-_so-_like-wanna-be-your-next-girlfriend-Ruka' fangirl craze he had to endure every after breakup. They would do all sorts of…things to him if she didn't help him out. Aside from that, she saw this as an opportunity she least expected to happen.

"Aye," she said finally. The pressure she felt on herself before got lifted, but one can't say that the edginess and tension surrounding the table was. For a short moment, they all paused before uncomfortably continuing with their lunch in silence.

Ruka cleared his throat and managed a small smile. "What could possibly go wrong, anyway?"

"I'm finishing my manga outside."

* * *

Natsume didn't stick around after lunch as he spent the entire duration of the afternoon finishing his manga on his Sakura tree. He was done reading by five-thirty with not much students left around hanging on campus grounds. He was about to head back to his dorm to get ready for supper when he heard a weird sound.

_Sniff, sniff. _

He walked towards a nearby bench and crept up behind it. As dead as he was after being left with his manga's cliffhanger ending, he was still very much surprised upon seeing who was sniffling on the bench.

"_Whoa_, Polka?"

Mikan, who was lying on her side, stopped sniffling but didn't bother to look up at the person who dared to call her that stupid nickname even under such circumstances.

"What the hell are you doing there?"

This time, Mikan lifted her head towards him, and answered in a voice that was thick from bawling. Or sniffling, apparently. "Waiting."

Natsume didn't need any more pressing. "Waiting for what? To catch cold, most probably."

Then she lied down on her back and folded her hands on her chest. She closed her eyes and sighed, "For a miracle, Natsume."

Knitting his eyebrows together, Natsume scoffed, "You're not making any sense at all, Polka—not that you do all the time, anyway."

Mikan moaned in frustration that didn't seem to be directed at Natsume, but rather herself. "As much as I would want to punch you in the face right now, that's not my point." She rested one hand over her eyes, as if terribly exhausted. "It's just that this date with Ruka tomorrow…I'm not ready for it."

"What are you talking about?" Natsume said. "Besides the disaster day date with him last year, didn't you go on a date with that Ninetendo kid in seventh grade?"

Somehow, saying that left a bitter taste in Natsume's mouth. His eyebrows furrowed a bit more.

"First off, it's Nendo, Natsume. Nendo Kaoru—" Natsume slightly bristled at the mention of the Ninetendo kid's name in the same sentence with his—"Second, Nendo's different from Ruka. That was the seventh grade, too. And now, I don't know… You don't see how big of a chance this is for me, Natsu."

"So you're saying you want your date with Ruka to be special?"

"Kind of," Mikan said sadly. "I want it to be that, and more. If you're my friend, you'd understand."

A dull ache stung at Natsume's chest. That wasn't exactly the point he wanted. For so long, all he had wished for was to be more than friends with Mikan. He saw that, but unfortunately Mikan didn't. Now it only pained him more because he couldn't accept things just like that, even for her. He didn't say anything as he simply waited for Mikan to tell him more.

Mikan continued. "I guess now, this is an opportunity I shouldn't let go off. I want to be more to Ruka than just a friend. And if I don't act now, I might just end up losing him…again." Then she did the thing Natsume dreaded the most. She removed the hand over her eyes and gazed directly into his.

Her bright hazel brown eyes shimmered, and Natsume saw something in them again.

Hope.

"If I help you…" he said slowly, as if letting each word that left his mouth sink in, "what's going to be in it for me?"

Mikan's eyes sparkled with hope yet again. A small smile graced her features and lit up her once sad face. To Natsume, _those_ alone were enough.

Sitting bolt up, Mikan exclaimed happily, "I can give you the latest issue of that manga of yours a week before it's in the stores!"

"Deal."

"I—" She was too astonished Natsume agreed right away to her offer. Then she did something Natsume didn't see coming. In one clumsy movement, she flung her arms around Natsume's neck. "You're the best!"

Natsume had to use all his willpower not to give in and hug her back or bury his face in her hair or something. He faked stiffening and said coldly, "Let go off me or the deal's off, Polka."

Much to his dismay, Mikan quickly did. "Sorry," she quietly apologized. "But," she instantly perked up, "I promise I'd be a really good and cooperative subject, Mr. Matchmaker!"

"Say that name again and I'll burn you to smitherins. Go try and dazzle me anyway, I guess."

…Not that she didn't dazzle him on any normal occasion, or anything.

Natsume noticed how the setting sun formed a crown of light around her head as she knelt on the bench in front of him. Not wanting to freak her out by staring at her too much, Natsume pointed behind her. "Looks like the sun's setting without you today."

"Oh!" Mikan spun around and sat back down on the bench properly. "I almost forgot."

More than anything else(aside from Howalons, her grandfather, and Hotaru), Mikan loved sunsets. In fact, she loved them so much she'd cry for hours and blame herself when she so much as misses one or feels that it isn't perfect enough. When she, however, sees one in perfect motion, it had always been her thing to stop, catch her breath, then say something about how the sunsets back home were always the best.

Natsume expected her to do that soon, but this time around, Mikan did something different. At first Natsume began worrying when she grew quiet and sat back as if there was something wrong.

_Oh no. She's going to cry, _he thought.

But then she didn't. Instead, she sighed resolutely, "Well, it happens when it happens."

"What?"

"I've always told myself something when I first entered the Academy."

"Should I care about what it was?"

"Funny thing," she chuckled.

"What's funny?"

"I said that the day the sunset here would be better than home's would be the day I'd get along with the most disagreeable and impossible person in my life. Turns out it was true."

She wasn't lying. The sunset was indeed breathtaking with the sun slowly descending behind into the Tokyo skyline. The sky was colored a at least a hundred different shades of oranges, pinks and yellows. Creeping near that golden canvas were numerous streaks of indigos and purples; the colors of twilight. Overhead, a few scattered stars managed to twinkle despite the city's severe light pollution and the sun's presence. It was quite hard to explain how the sunset itself bested that of the most remote countryside, but somehow to Natsume, being able to enjoy it with Mikan gave him more than enough reason.

As long as she was happy, he would always have more than enough reason.

* * *

So there it was. (: I didn't really feel that was any good. It's like it was a bit rushed or something for me. Did you think guys think so too? Anyway, take note that the chapters won't always be happening on subsequent dates, so yeah.

_Hee, review? _


	2. Day 2: First Date

Hee, second chapter here. Yes, I DO KNOW IT'S BEEN A LOOOONG TIME SINCE I UPDATED BUT please do still tell me what you think, thanks. (:

* * *

"_The first date is always essential because it tells you how to start things off from there on. Just don't screw it up, and you'll be perfectly fine. If you're lucky, a second date might suffice." –Some old lady from Central Town_

_**:) :) :) **_

That Saturday morning started out just like any other Saturday morning.

The birds chirped happily as they flew past your window sill. Everywhere, the sounds of happy shouts and laughter of children playing outside filled the morning air. Up above, a beautiful blue sky laced with sunshine was promising of another bright, brand new day.

And by far, that Saturday morning started out just like any other Saturday morning for Hyuuga Natsume.

The shrill birds just seemed to swoop down from all over the place to come annoy you along with your blaring alarm clock. Outdoors, little pests who do nothing but disturb people still in their sleep and pollute the air with their highly-irritating noise run amuck. And the sky, impossibly blue, along with the extremely brilliant sunlight, blinded Natsume the moment they hit his eyes.

_Things could always get worse_, he'd say, and just at that slight possibility, they suddenly did.

_KNOCK, KNOCK._

A sudden rapping came at his door. As comical and pathetic as that sounded, it really was true. Natsume threw a pillow over his head in a desperate attempt to block out the knock.

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! _

Sparing a short, furious glare at his door, Natsume took it to mind that he was going to scorch that…_knocker_ out the next moment he tries something fu—

_KNOCK-ITY KNOCK, KNOCK…KNOCK, KNOCK!_

Natsume pointed his open palm towards his door without even bothering to look from underneath the pillow burying his head.

_Boom! _

Problem torched aside, he smirked slightly to himself and concentrated on going back to sleep.

_Knock… Knock… _

"_Natsume… It's __**–cough- **__Mikan,"_ the knocker, who apparently was Mikan, called him from outside, her voice choked up with coughing.

Natsume groaned and rolled himself off bed. On the way to the door, he mussed up his hair a bit in irritation before he opened the door to welcome his uninvited guest.

"What the hell is with this pesky house call at six in the morning, Polka?"

Mikan, who was smoking all over, narrowed her eyes at Natsume. Above them, the smoke detectors took no effect which was ironic since Natsume was almost close to burning someone alive just a moment ago.

But of course she wasn't on fire. Of course she nullified it. And of course her pigtails would still catch fire no matter what.

"YOU'RE A FRICKIN' PRICK."

Hell hath no fury like a girl with burnt pigtails.

Natsume shrugged, slanting towards her to extinguish a small flame at the tip of one of Mikan's pigtails with his forefinger and thumb. With a contemptuous smirk, he leaned on the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. "Should I know why you're here then?"

"_Well,_" Mikan began dramatically, "since you did take time to make sure I got a _warm_ wel— _GAH!" _Her eyes widened as they travelled downwards from Natsume's face. Almost immediately, her hand clumsily shot up to cover her eyes._ "Dear God, wh-where the heck is your shirt, N-Natsu?" _

For obvious reasons, the mad blush on Mikan's face only called for the sudden coy expression on Natsume's face. "You flatter me too much, really."

Mikan held out a Pyrex container Natsume didn't notice was with her until now—her eyes slightly shielded—then grumbled crossly with a pleasing scarlet tint still present on her face, "I brought you some breakfast, but you seriously need to put a shirt on first."

Natsume looked at the food cagily. "I would much prefer shirtlessly not dying from food poisoning, thanks," he said.

Mikan put the hand covering her eyes down to her side and looked up. "Relax, geez. It's Anna-made, ok?" she assured him scornfully.

"Well, the freak twin _can_ cook," Natsume found himself admitting. "But can't I just, like, take the food and close the door on you?"

"Boo you Natsume. All I wanted was to just bring you some breakfast because you agreed to help me…" Mikan sniffed, her eyes still glued to the hallway ceiling, "—but sure, you could just take these blueberry waffles and leave me be to starve outside."

All throughout the years Natsume has known Mikan, he knew for one thing when she was being sincere or plainly guilt-tripping him. Right now, Natsume was indecisive about which of the two she was going at because he felt guilty and at the same time heard the distinct sound of her stomach rumbling. He studied her again.

As expected from a morning person, Mikan was already fully-dressed in a light pink hoodie and denim miniskirt. Her hair was tied into her usual pigtails, their tips now burnt. For all he knew, she might have woken up as early as five in the morning just to get ready and buy him an early morning meal from a disgruntled Umemomiya who was probably still sleeping at the time. Considering that, Natsume suddenly felt sorry for both girls.

"Here you go," Mikan handed Natsume the food, "—you've already done enough for me yesterday and I wouldn't want to ask too much from you."

Sometimes it simply amazed Natsume how this girl constantly got to him.

Mikan had already started to trudge away down the hallway when Natsume said, "I'll go put a shirt on." This effectively stopped her in her tracks. "You wait here."

Mikan spun around. She had a smile on her face. "Thanks. This isn't like a breakfast…date, right?"

"Not a breakfast date, yeah," he clarified, feeling a little heat rush up to his face. Not wanting Mikan to see him all pink, he dashed back into his dorm, washed up in the bathroom, then put on the first shirt he grabbed from his closet. Once he was done, he walked to his doorway only to find that Mikan wasn't there.

Oh great, so she ditches him on the—

A voice humming and the sound of cutlery ringing from somewhere in the kitchen area caught Natsume off guard.

Startled, he ran to the kitchen and saw Mikan bent over the kitchen table, setting two plates, glasses and a pitcher of juice out in front of her.

"What ever happened to _'you wait here'_?"

"Oh!" Mikan looked up, surprised. "Natsume! I… I just thought I'd get breakfast ready since, _uhm_, you left the waffles by the table and…_yeah_." She laughed uncomfortably.

"Yeah you're hungry." Natsume rolled his eyes then sat himself down at the table. How the idiot managed to prepare all this at such a short amount of time when she couldn't even arrive to class early on any given day was beyond him.

The microwave on the counter beside them _dinged! _to a stop. Mikan went over to the counter and as soon as she opened the microwave, the warm smell of fresh waffles immediately filled the air.

"Breakfast's up!" she chirped as she placed three waffles on Natsume's plate then proceeded to slab a generous dollop of some weird-looking topping on them. She did the same with her own as she seated herself across him and poured themselves some apple juice.

Natsume eyed the blob of mystery matter on his waffles suspiciously. "What's this?" he asked her crudely.

"Orange butter, of course," Mikan said.

"Mikan what?"

"Orange butter," she repeated herself. Mikan then lowered her head and mumbled quietly, "I made it myself."

Natsume raised a skeptical eyebrow. He continued to experimentally fork his waffles some more. Sure enough, the blueberries looked tempting as his fork sliced and stabbed through them, but with all the…_Mikan _butter in the way, they all of a sudden seemed otherwise.

"You're not touching your food…"

Mikan's cheerless voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, her forehead all scrunched in worry.

"Hn," Natsume replied. He rested his chin on his hand, staring at his plate.

He didn't really know what was wrong anymore.

In some way, his perceptions told him it was because he had no idea why he suddenly agreed to help Mikan out or how he managed to when he told her a useful thing or two yesterday. For one, he felt completely ridiculous for letting things amount to this. And he didn't know why but it gave him this _certain _feeling; that somehow giving away your favorite toy to a dear playmate didn't feel any different from giving away a girl you liked to your best friend.

Yep, he didn't really what was wrong anymore.

"Is there anythi—_AHH!_"

The power all of a sudden went out. Sure enough, dozens of other girls' terrified screams were heard from the corridors below the Special Star rooms. Natsume ran a hand down the side of his face.

"_Natsume, Natsume, where are you? GAH, I CAN'T SEE—" _

"_This…_," Natsume choked out, "is…my head. It's…not…a… Stop…unscrewing…it from…my _body_, Polka."

"Oh sorry." Mikan let go, but kept her grasp tight on Natsume's shirt. "Soo, what n-now? It's times like this when you s-should really consider drawing b-back the b-blinds in your dorm."

"You're shaking," Natsume said flatly.

"N-n-no I'm n-no — Oh s-screw this, j-just go let some s-sun into your room, o-ok?" Mikan stammered.

Natsume got up from his chair and said, "I'll just go switch on my back-up generator, so you stay—"

"_NO!_" Mikan screamed. In an instant, her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. Natsume's eyes widened. "I-I mean… _No way_, you have a back-up generator?"

"This is an hellhole _is_ based on prejudice anyway. What else is new?"

"Prejudice? I'm scared…" Mikan whimpered.

"Tch, you always and forever will be a coward, you know that?" Natsume scoffed. He peeled her arms off his waist but then laced his fingers to hers lightly afterwards. "Come on, the electric panel's just right beside the fridge." He tugged at Mikan to follow.

Natsume groped around for the counter drawer and fished out a flashlight. He shone it at Mikan and saw that she was slightly blushing.

"Wha—?"

"It's nothing."

Much to his dismay, the back-up generator didn't work when he tried to turn it on. Much to his bigger dismay, the flashlight's battery gave out. Then much to his biggest dismay, he felt himself blushing as well.

Luckily for him, Mikan was quick to talk; enough to snap him out of his flustered reverie. "Hey, you have any candles…?"

"Not that I—"

"Light your finger!"

"Light my what?"

"_Just_… Oh there thanks." Mikan held out a lit candle in front of her, her face alight with a self-satisfied grin visible even in the dark. "So should we pull back the drapes now?"

Natsume didn't answer. That was a no. Pulling the both of them back to their seats, he took the candle from Mikan and propped it at the middle of the table. He sat down and motioned for Mikan to do the same.

"A candlelit breakfast?" Mikan laughed. "Now this is some date, huh."

The boy just couldn't help but smile.

—

Two and a half hours later, long after Mikan had finished her helping of waffles while Natsume hadn't and a short while after the power came back on, they kept the candle lit in between them as they — _mostly Mikan_ — talked the morning away. Strange enough to Natsume, it felt nice, spending time with her like this — what with the moments she never seemed to run out of things to say whilst never failing to have the corners of his lips curve up. But among others, it was mostly Mikan herself that just simply astounded Natsume.

And when the time came when she finally jumped up from her seat and exclaimed about the time, he couldn't do anything but watch as she hastily said bye and quickly left through the door.

Now with only an extinguished candle and untouched breakfast before him, he ate his meal with gusto alone in the dark, knowing that a little bit of it was still Mikan-made too.

—

This was not stalking. It just couldn't be. He had already convinced himself thirty minutes ago that it wasn't.

It just _definitely_ couldn't be stalking. Never.

But really, Natsume hated it when he denied himself at times.

Feeling much more ridiculous by the second, he sighed and bent down lower beside a huge potted plant just as a certain girl in braids and a bright yellow sun dress walked by.

He watched as Mikan sat down at the nearest bench a few feet away. In the middle of looking at her tug at her braids and fix the ribbon of her dress, a voice behind him caused him to jump.

"May I ask why you're hiding behind a potted plant, young man?"

Startled, Natsume turned around quickly and saw an elderly woman holding a broomstick standing in front of him. He cleared his throat and straightened.

"Nothing that concerns you, old lady," he replied.

The woman raised her eyebrow and gave him a knowing look. Crossing her arms, she said, "You know you shouldn't keep her waiting like that."

Natsume felt his heart drop to his feet. "K-keep who waiting?"

She rolled her eyes then cocked her head at Mikan's direction. "I'm sure we both know who I'm talking about, am I right?"

Natsume frowned, saying, "What makes you thi—"

"Pretty girl, handsome boy — makes perfect sense." She shrugged. "I'm an old woman, sonny. Let's just say I know a lot more than you think," she said, resting her hands on her broomstick.

"What the hell are y—"

"The first date is always essential because it tells you how to start things off from there on. Just don't screw up, and you'll be perfectly fine. If you're lucky, a second date might suffice."

Natsume's insides did a double-over. Crudely, he asked, "I'm sorry, who are you again?"

The woman breathed in contentedly before saying, "Just some old lady from Central Town."

"Some _weird_ old lady from Central Town, if I might add," Natsume scoffed, none too polite.

She chuckled. "That's what I am." Then her expression turned stern. She poked Natsume at his side with her broomstick. "Now you go march up to her and stop making that poor girl wait—"

"But I'm not—"

"—before I personally have to drag you over there by your ear or whack you with my broom in front of everybody else and cause you even more embarrassment only an old lady like me can cause," she said tersely.

Natsume could tell from her grim expression that she was pretty much serious. Not wanting to get a spanking anytime soon, he raised his hands in surrender and started walking over to where Mikan was.

"Good luck, son!" the old lady called after him loud enough for everyone around them to hear, Mikan included.

"Eh? Natsume?"

Natsume could only curse the old lady under his breath as he walked the remaining distance between him and Mikan.

In the most collected tone he could manage at the moment, he greeted her, "Yo Polka."

"What are you doing here?" Mikan asked.

Not_ stalking you, apparently_, he mentally told himself. He tucked his hands in his pockets and lied, saying to her the same thing he told the old lady just a while ago. "Nothing that concerns you, Polka."

She gave out a tiny _oh_ before staring at Natsume with those brown doe-like eyes of hers. "So are you supposed to be out on a date too or are you just…?"

Natsume's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Dunno," Mikan shrugged, "just asking. Then maybe we could have arranged for a double-da—"

"No."

Mikan nodded. "Alright, alright," she said. Turning away from Natsume, she further spoke, the slightest hint of irritation present in her voice, "So if you're not out on a date and you being here has nothing to do with me, I told you I'd be able to give you your manga right?"

Natsume was caught a bit off-guard with how wrong she was. It had _everything _to do with her.

"You know I won't even go into how dense and shallow you are for thinking I'm only here to buy comics," he brusquely told her instead, giving a shake of his head.

Mikan started, "But—" She lifted her head for a split second, but then dropped it right away, as if dismissing a thought. "Ah, nevermind."

Natsume opened his mouth to speak but found that he too had nothing to say. Whatever Mikan was supposed to tell him, he was sure it was supposed to be something that further proved her point.

An uncomfortable silence passed between them. It was only when Natsume caught sight of a familiar blonde head rounding the corner that he cleared his throat and said, "I'll be going now. I think Ruka's here."

Mikan swiftly rose from her seat and looked around. Seeming that she no longer paid him mind, Natsume turned and started to walk away.

Mikan's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Aren't you gonna wish me luck?"

He didn't want to be unkind. "…Sure. Whatever. Good luck."

Natsume could hear a trace of a small smile in Mikan's tone. "You're a good friend, Natsume."

He didn't turn around to face her. "You'll do fine," he said off-handedly.

"I know. This is Ruka we're talking about, after all."

He didn't really know what he should say anymore. And somehow, as he went back to his dorm, he found a tiny part of himself hoping that much wouldn't be true.

* * *

"So let me get the straight," Ruka spoke, "first you take me to the batting cage, _then_ to the animal shelter, and _then _over at the flea market for coin tricks and frozen lemonade."

Mikan nodded, taking a sip from her cup.

Ruka continued, "And so are you just taking me to the fangirl-free places or what?"

Mikan shrugged, beaming. "I'unno, I guess I just tried to show you a good time, then?"

Swirling the left-over contents of slush and lemonade in his cup, Ruka chuckled fondly. He murmured, "You honestly don't even have to try most of the time, really."

Eyebrows raised, Mikan looked him. "Sorry?"

Ruka all but chuckled again, looking back at her with an unwavering emotion in his cornflower blue eyes. "It's nothing."

"Hey now, don't look at me like that," Mikan said jokingly, "you know I'm not some psychic nor did I hire Otonashi-san for this, or uhm…anything." She lifted her cup to her lips rather shakily.

"I don't know, but maybe it's just a talent," Ruka remarked kindly.

Mikan blinked. "What is?"

"A talent," Ruka clarified, "a talent of making people happy. Yeah, like that."

Mikan stared down at her shoes, blushing. "Y-you think so?"

"This was a good after-breakup date, Mikan-chan," Ruka said truthfully. "No, wait, scratch that — the _best_ after-breakup date I've ever had."

"R-really?"

Ruka nodded. "It's been a while since I've been to those places you took me to since I know for one thing that Nonoko-chan and Iinchou share this irrational fear of pitching machines, Shouda-san has this strong belief that fleas are about in most flea markets and Anna-chan's allergic to most animals," he explained. With a laugh, he said further, "And to add to that, I don't know, when I take Imai-san out…"

"She just somehow dries up your wallet quite fast, I know!" Mikan finished for him, laughing along.

At the spur of the moment, Ruka spontaneously looked up to watch as a flock of birds flew towards the sun that he noticed was already beginning to set. He tugged at Mikan's sleeve. "Ah, Mikan-chan, look," he said, "the sun."

Mikan followed to where his eyes travelled. Drawing in a breath, Mikan speculated, "There's no sunset like home's but this one's still very lovely." She gazed back down at Ruka, smiling.

Ruka couldn't help but feel the mild rush of heat to his cheeks as his heart skipped a beat and a tugging occurred at his lips. "I know."

* * *

"_Natsume!"_

Said boy turned towards the call of his name. "Mika—"

_BAM!_

Natsume's eyes were still closed after the sudden impact. "Polka, what the f—"

"It's a second date, Natsu," Mikan said softly. Natsume opened his eyes to see Mikan's arms wrapped around him. Her embrace around him tightened as she thanked him ever-so lovingly, "T-thank you."

Natsume swallowed thickly. His cheeks heated up — and it wasn't because of the cold. Either way, he didn't bother. Raising his hand almost reluctantly, he let it rest on Mikan's head. "You're welcome, Polka."

* * *

OH GOODNESS. There you go dearies, I finally got that chap over with — after, like, what? One and a half, two months? Good God I'm so pathetic. XD Oh but anyway, please do tell me what you think. (:

**BTW, my little sisters (Ariisha-chan and I've Perfected Imperfection) and I are hosting a contest. Check out my profile or theirs for details in case you're interested (C'mon, I know you are).**

_Review pleaaase. :D _


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